Sucker-rod



3, F. may'. SUCKER ROD.

APPLICATSON FILED AY 23, 1919.

F'IG..

INVENTOR- wrrN Essts purpose. The object of my invention is to GMM F. BIG-BY, 0F BUTLER, ENNSYLVANIA.

SUCEER-BD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

appnauon inea my es, una serial no. 299,358.

' To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARK F. Riser, a citizen of the United States, and a res1dent "of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Sucker-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sucker rodsl for deep wells and comprises an nnproved torni of hollow tube adaptedto be used for that secure strength, rigidity and lightness as well as to reduce the cost of such equipment and its operation.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure lisa vertical section through a portion of a drilled .well equipped with my improved rod; Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of and vertical section through my rod and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 21

Fig. 1 shows two sections, 1 and 2, of the Well casing connected by a couphng 3. Op-

" erating within this casing is the reciprocating sucker rod made in convenient lengths Lla Each length 4 -is coupled to the adjacent length above and below by joint heads 5 and 6 respectively. The adjacent lengths, only one of which is shown, have coperating joint heads 6 and 5 respectively. Heads 5 and 6 form a coupling whiehis described and claimed in United States Letters Patent 1,250,509 issued to me December 18, 1917. I wish to be understood as using this coupling for illustrative purposes only as many other kinds of couplings may be substituted and my present invention involves the rod irrespective of the coupling means.

Each length 4c of the sucker rod is hollow and formed with substantial external and internal longitudinal eorrugations 7 which extend from end to end of the length of rod. These corrugations greatly stiften the rod laterally and enable it to withstand much greater longitudinal compression 'than a plain tube of equal diameter and-thickness 'or than a solid rod of the usual typeand-ot' approximately the same weight.

The ends of sucker rod length l are com-- pletely filled by the pintles 8 of the joint heads. I make the union between rod lengt-h 4 and each head 5 or 6 airtight, preferably by welding the rod to the head. When operating at considerable depth in a column of oil or water or both', in addition to the lightness of material due to the tubular construction of the sucker rod, this type of rod is decidedly buoyant because of the 'confined air. These two features greatly reduce thev cost of operating the rod, as will be appreciated readily when it is understood that the well may be several thousand feet deep.

Tubular sucker rods effect a saving over solid rods in lirst cost, in handling and in operation, but heretofore such rods have been so weak throughout, especially at their threaded ends, that in handling and operating them they buckled and lotherwise failed, sometimes from their own weight when supported at their center. My. corrugated tubular rod has sutlicient strength to endure ordinary stresses yet retains the essential feature of lightness which is present in plain tubular rods.

'In addition to the advantages of the tubular, air-tight construction and to' assist the corrugatedl surfaces in withstanding the heavy pressure of a column of liquid a couple of thousand feet high, I introduce into lengths 4 air under pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure. The oonfined, compressed air will withstand the inward pressure of the column of liquid and thereby further strengthen the corrugated tube. This outward pressure of the confined air may be varied according to the depth at which the length is to operate.

` I clams l. A sucker rod tonsisting of an air-tight cylinder filled with air above atmospheric pressure.

2. A sucker rod comprising a longitudi nally corrugated tube having its ends sealed air-tight by coupling members and its walls supportedinternally by air under compression suiiicient to withstand the external pressure of liquid in which the sucker rod is to be operated. v

A. sucker rod consisting of an air-tight cylinder illed with air under pressure approximating the external pressure onthe rod vwhen operating in a well.

In apparatus for deep wells, a plurality 'of sucker rod sections each consisting of an air-tight cylinder filled with air under pressure, said pressure in different rods increasing with substantial increases in the depth of. the rod from the mouth of the well.-

In testimony, whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my hand this 12th day of May, 1919.

CLARK r. nien Y. 

